diff --git a/python/build/nroff.py b/python/build/nroff.py
index 73353061cccc..74a3f08ca40e 100644
--- a/python/build/nroff.py
+++ b/python/build/nroff.py
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ def diagram_to_nroff(nodes, para):
     text_s = '.br\n'.join(["\\fL%s\n" % s for s in text if s != ""])
     return para + """
 .\\" check if in troff mode (TTY)
-.if t \{
+.if t \\{
 .PS
 boxht = .2
 textht = 1/6
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ fillval = .2
 .PE
 \\}
 .\\" check if in nroff mode:
-.if n \{
+.if n \\{
 .nf
 """ + text_s + """\
 .fi
diff --git a/tests/test-ovsdb.py b/tests/test-ovsdb.py
index 2d1112dddd2b..1d7c023da27d 100644
--- a/tests/test-ovsdb.py
+++ b/tests/test-ovsdb.py
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ def get_simple_printable_row_string(row, columns):
             s += "%s=%s " % (column, value)
     s = s.strip()
     s = re.sub('""|,|u?\'', "", s)
-    s = re.sub('UUID\(([^)]+)\)', r'\1', s)
+    s = re.sub(r'UUID\(([^)]+)\)', r'\1', s)
     s = re.sub('False', 'false', s)
     s = re.sub('True', 'true', s)
     s = re.sub(r'(ba)=([^[][^ ]*) ', r'\1=[\2] ', s)
diff --git a/utilities/checkpatch.py b/utilities/checkpatch.py
index 41676adab375..d8bd34b1f19b 100755
--- a/utilities/checkpatch.py
+++ b/utilities/checkpatch.py
@@ -518,38 +518,38 @@ checks = [
      'check': lambda x: trailing_whitespace_or_crlf(x),
      'print': lambda: print_warning("Line has trailing whitespace")},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: not is_comment_line(x),
      'check': lambda x: not if_and_for_whitespace_checks(x),
      'print': lambda: print_error("Improper whitespace around control block")},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: not is_comment_line(x),
      'check': lambda x: not if_and_for_end_with_bracket_check(x),
      'print': lambda: print_error("Inappropriate bracing around statement")},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: not is_comment_line(x),
      'check': lambda x: pointer_whitespace_check(x),
      'print':
      lambda: print_error("Inappropriate spacing in pointer declaration")},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: not is_comment_line(x),
      'check': lambda x: trailing_operator(x),
      'print':
      lambda: print_error("Line has '?' or ':' operator at end of line")},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: has_comment(x),
      'check': lambda x: has_xxx_mark(x),
      'print': lambda: print_warning("Comment with 'xxx' marker")},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: has_comment(x),
      'check': lambda x: check_comment_spelling(x)},
 
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'check': lambda x: empty_return_with_brace(x),
      'interim_line': True,
      'print':
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ std_functions = [
         ('error', 'Use ovs_error() in place of error()'),
 ]
 checks += [
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$',
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$',
      'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: not is_comment_line(x),
      'check': regex_function_factory(function_name),
@@ -601,11 +601,11 @@ infix_operators = \
     [re.escape(op) for op in ['%', '<<', '>>', '<=', '>=', '==', '!=',
             '^', '|', '&&', '||', '?:', '=', '+=', '-=', '*=', '/=', '%=',
             '&=', '^=', '|=', '<<=', '>>=']] \
-    + ['[^<" ]<[^=" ]', '[^->" ]>[^=" ]', '[^ !()/"]\*[^/]', '[^ !&()"]&',
-       '[^" +(]\+[^"+;]', '[^" -(]-[^"->;]', '[^" <>=!^|+\-*/%&]=[^"=]',
+    + ['[^<" ]<[^=" ]', '[^->" ]>[^=" ]', r'[^ !()/"]\*[^/]', '[^ !&()"]&',
+       r'[^" +(]\+[^"+;]', '[^" -(]-[^"->;]', r'[^" <>=!^|+\-*/%&]=[^"=]',
        '[^* ]/[^* ]']
 checks += [
-    {'regex': '(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
+    {'regex': r'(\.c|\.h)(\.in)?$', 'match_name': None,
      'prereq': lambda x: not is_comment_line(x),
      'check': regex_operator_factory(operator),
      'print': lambda: print_warning("Line lacks whitespace around operator")}
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ def ovs_checkpatch_parse(text, filename, author=None, committer=None):
     current_file = filename if checking_file else ''
     previous_file = ''
     seppatch = re.compile(r'^---([\w]*| \S+)$')
-    hunks = re.compile('^(---|\+\+\+) (\S+)')
+    hunks = re.compile(r'^(---|\+\+\+) (\S+)')
     hunk_differences = re.compile(
         r'^@@ ([0-9-+]+),([0-9-+]+) ([0-9-+]+),([0-9-+]+) @@')
     is_author = re.compile(r'^(Author|From): (.*)$', re.I | re.M | re.S)
diff --git a/utilities/ovs-dev.py b/utilities/ovs-dev.py
index 9ce0f04c7d8a..248d22ab9a7e 100755
--- a/utilities/ovs-dev.py
+++ b/utilities/ovs-dev.py
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ def modinst():
 
     _sh("modprobe", "openvswitch")
     _sh("dmesg | grep openvswitch | tail -1")
-    _sh("find /lib/modules/%s/ -iname vport-*.ko -exec insmod '{}' \;"
+    _sh("find /lib/modules/%s/ -iname vport-*.ko -exec insmod '{}' \\;"
         % uname())
 
 
